Screw-down tap or cock



the tap is Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE NEVILLE SPERRYN,

SCREW-DOWN Application filed October 19, 1925, Serial No.

This invention relates to a new or improved screw-down tap or cocl; and refers to a tap or cock particularly adapted for controlling a domestic water supply.

In designing a water-tap or cock an important point has recently been to render the external surface of the tap as smooth and free from excrescences as minimum the labour in cleaning.

The object of my invention to provide an improved construction of tap whereby a smooth exterior of pleasing appearance is obtained without impairing facility of access to the working parts of the tap for the adjustments which are necessary at intervals.

A further object is to combine with such a construction simple means whereby axial movement of the tap spindle to open or close the tap is eifecte-tl by. a purely rotary movement of the external operating handle or finger-piece so that no partof the spindle is visible even when the tap is open, and not withstanding this the adjustment or repacking of the spindle gland can be effected while closed so that the water need not be turned off at the main.

My invention comprises an improved screw-down tap or cook in which the operating mechanism and spindle are wholly enclosed within a detachable sleeve secured to the tap body or head, and a handle or fingerpiece rotatably secured in or upon the outer end of the sleeve has an axial aperture 01' recess within which the end of the tap spindle is free to slide, but is held against rotation relative thereto.

Thus rotation of the handle or finger-piece causes rotation of the spindle to retract or advance the valve in the usual manner and the axial movement of the spindle is accommodated by its sliding within the handle. To obtain access to the working parts of the tap. which may be of any desired type, the valve is closed and the the handle or finger-piece is removed so that the spindle gland is exposed.

One convenient practical form of'tap embodying the features of our invention has been illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an external elevation of the tap.

Figure 2, is a sectional elevation.

Figure 3, is a section on an enlarged scale of the handle or finger' piece and the upper part of the sleeve.

possible to reduce to a sleeve together with" of the upper part of the sleeve showing an alternative method of rotatably securing the finger-piece thereto.

7 In these drawings a is the body of the tap which may be of any desired design, and b is the head which is screwed into the upper part of the body and carries the usual spindle and valve (Z. The valve (1 is secured upon the lower end of the spindle in any convenient manner such as that illustrated in Fig. 2, and the lower part of the spindle has an external screw-thread engaging an internal thread in an axial recess 0 in the lower end of the head. The upper part of the spindle passes through the usual packing f and gland-nut g and its upper extremity h is of square or other angular crosssection.

It will be understood that these details are given as of a typical tap construction and are not essential to the present invention with the exception of the square or other angular crosssection of the upper end of the spindle.

The sleeve within which the-mechanism of the tap is enclosed is a hollow brass or other casting or pressing of the external outline indicated in Fig.1, the lower end having the greatest diameter and being provided with an internal screw-thread by which it is adapted to be screwed on to a threaded flange k on the head or on to a similar flange on the body. I

The exterior surface of the lower end of the sleeve may be arranged to be flush with the exterior surface of the body,but I prefer to provide an annular lip [so that the joint will always look neat even after having been made and broken a number of times.

The upper end of the sleeve is formed with a shoulder m above which projects a short cylindrical extension n of which the extremity is screw-threaded. The handle or fingerpiece or has at its lower end an inturned flange [I which is a smooth fit over the extension 'n and a nut or collar (7 is then screwed on to the extremity of the extension within the handle to secure the handle rotatably upon the sleeve. This nut is preferably sweated to the extension to prevent movement after fixing. or it both sweated and riveted.

The connection between the handle and the tap spindle c is made by a tube 1' which has an axial aperture of square cross-section to receive the upper end of the spindle, and a may be riveted thereto or- 

